Thursday 2nd June, 2005
Strongyloides
A mutually beneficial approach.
Some years ago Jean Williams revealed the danger that Strongyloides posed to Australia's Vietnam Veterans. A hyperlink to one of her articles about Strongyloides is below. Whilst you are healthy your immune system keeps Strongyloides in check, but if your immune system goes down then the Strongyloides numbers build up. The resultant problems are mostly fatal. Read Dr Wendy Page's presentation (hyperlink below) to see who dies from Strongyloides.
Jean also described the lack of knowledge within the medical system about Strongyloides.
There is a group of medical people who are passionately interested in researching and treating Strongyloides, especially as it applies to Australians. They have a lot of practical experience in treating Aboriginals in the Northern Territory. Their tactical approach to treatment seems very sound. (They advocate three treatments at monthly intervals - second and third treatments aimed at mopping up the worms that survived the first or second treatment.)
Officially 1.6% of of Australia's Vietnam Veterans have Strongyloides. However the suspicion is that the real rate is much higher. See the third last paragraph of Jean's article. For Australia's Vietnam Veterans the actual rate has never been determined. (See extract from Rick Speare's presentation at bottom of this page.)
Having personally experienced what Jean describes in relation to the knowledge that GPs (and Specialists too) have (or don't have), it seems to me that the best approach would be for as many Vietnam Veterans as possible to consult doctors within this group, in relation to Strongyloides. Strongyloides needs to be monitored for life, and retreated if necessary. For Veterans they could be assured of the best treatment of the problem.
For the Medical people they may be able to develop their own statistics in relation to Vietnam Veterans.
Dr Wendy Page
377 Oxley Avenue
Margate Qld 4019
Telephone: (07) 3284-2851
Email: pagew@bigpond.net.au
Wendy is part of the medical group referred to above and is happy for Vietnam Veterans in the
Brisbane area to contact her. She is a GP, so you don't need a referral from
your doctor. She has had extensive practical experience with Strongyloides
within Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory, and is up to date with
current research.
If the demand from Vietnam Veterans exists, it should be possible to obtain similar doctors in other cities etc.
Every Australian Vietnam Veteran, unless they are satisfied that they have been properly checked and treated (if necessary) for Strongyloides, should have a blood test for Strongyloides. What happens then depends on the results. If you have been "cured", but not had any follow up blood tests it is in your best interest to have another blood test.
Capricornia Medical Science Conference
Jean Williams on Strongyloides
PowerPoint presentation by Rick Speare
Strongyloides presentation by Dr Wendy Page
World War 2 Veteran with Strongyloides after 52 years
Risk factors for severe strongyloidiasis:
Strongyloides attributed to Diabetes Mellitus
ADF Health: Health effects of Vietnam service
(Note - there is no mention of Strongyloides in this
article).
From Rick Speare's PowerPoint Presentation - hyperlink above.